Lake Eufaula Fishing Report – May 2007

Eufaula: Level: 1.8 feet below full pool. Temp: 63-70 degrees. Clarity: Stained in the river, more clear in the main lake.

Bass: Poor, said Butch Tucker who called the lake very unpredictable because of unstable weather patterns. He said the bass spawn is about over, and the shad spawn is getting started on the river banks and in the hydrilla mats. He said the chatterbait bite should start soon fished around the spawning shad, and he also suggested a spinnerbait, small Pop-R or small jerkbait. The bass should either be in the hydrilla following the shad groups or on the river banks around the rip-rap. Rip-rap and rocky banks from the causeway back toward Cowikee Creek should be productive. “They’ll be some fish on the shallow creek ledges that can be caught with a Carolina rig and crankbaits,” Butch added. “There always is.” Billy Darby said there are some bass holding in shallow hydrilla near deeper water, and said a small, 1/4-oz., one-bladed spinnerbait or Baby Minus One will catch them. He also said the frog bite on hydrilla mats will turn on soon.

Linesides: Excellent.“They’re in the mouth of every major creek that I know of, chasing 10 jillion shad,” said Billy of the hybrids. He lowered an underwater camera near one of his brushpiles and said there were so many shad it was like looking into a pot of loose grits. He is catching lots of schooling hybrids, big ones in the 5-lb. range, throwing lipless crankbaits or leadhead jigs with a 3 1/2- to 5-inch white/chartreuse or yellow curlytail jig. He also suggested trolling the same baits.

Crappie: Poor. Billy said he has only heard of one person catching any crappie, and that person caught four while fishing a crankbait for bass. He said night fishing is the way to go right now, on fishing brushpiles in 15 feet of water near ledges that drop off to 25 to 30 feet of water. He said when the lake turns over in late May, the crappie will be on the deepest brush piles they can find.